The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, meets people near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Photograph: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

We all deserve to feel safe in our own homes. Safe from crime, safe from the elements and safe from fire. That’s why last week’s devastating tragedy at Grenfell Tower has left the nation so stunned, scared and angry.

I am afraid this will almost certainly be the biggest loss of life in a residential fire since the Second World War. These were ordinary families, many of whom were in bed when the fire broke out, killed in their homes in the most appalling circumstances imaginable. The sight of blazing Grenfell Tower should be forever seared into our nation’s collective memory. The immediate response by the emergency services was inspiring, with some of the most incredible bravery London has ever seen. Firefighters went above and beyond to save as many residents as possible. We must never forget their courageous actions.

Community centres have been filled with mountains of food, clothing, toiletries and medicines. So much has been donated by the public that the local community has been overwhelmed. Even in these darkest of times, the best of London shines through. But nothing can make up for the loss of loved ones or the pain – and the bitter sense of injustice – felt by this tightknit community in Kensington.

I have experienced first hand their justified grief, anger and frustration. I share it. Families feel ignored and neglected by the authorities. Many are still waiting for news of their loved ones. They want answers as to how this could have happened despite multiple warnings. They want assurances that it will never happen again. And they want justice. I promise I will fight with every fibre of my being to make sure that is delivered.

As the mayor of London, as a Londoner and someone who grew up in a council block, I am completely committed to doing everything in my power to make sure that the causes of this tragedy are brought to light. And if negligence or other wrongdoing by individuals or companies played any role whatsoever, I will fight for the full force of the law to be brought to bear.

Many people, outside Kensington, expressed surprise at the recent general election result that Kensington – that the home of the super-rich – could ever elect a Labour MP. Well, Grenfell Tower is in a part of Kensington many people never see. There are real pockets of deep deprivation and it is home to many recent immigrant communities. For many, life is a daily struggle and, despite residents’ concerns, Grenfell Tower was their home.

In London alone there are hundreds of tall buildings – many similar to Grenfell Tower. Across the country there are hundreds more. Tens of thousands of people are understandably worried about whether they are safe in their own homes. The government has now agreed to compile a list of all similar properties; they all need to be assessed and, if necessary, made safe. This work must be completed urgently with the information made available to the public and the maximum amount of transparency.

Little can compare in recent times to a tragedy on this scale – the response from the local authority has simply not been good enough. Residents feel abandoned by those with the power – the council and government. They didn’t know where to go or what to do. Residents feel that they are neglected because they are poor. There has been a vacuum. It has exposed a gaping hole in how our government responds to events of this scale. For too long, the aftermath of the fire was mired in confusion and hesitancy. The government should have acted much more quickly. The council should have asked for outside help immediately.

This is a national tragedy with national consequences. What emerges in the coming weeks and months will be very difficult for many people, including politicians and organisations, but we must get to the truth. There will be hard truths about how we build and maintain homes for some of the most marginalised in society. Hard truths about the regulations put in place to protect us against fire, and on whether corners were cut on the refurbishment and how it was inspected. Those who mock health and safety, regulations and red tape need to take a hard look at the consequences of cutting these and ask themselves whether Grenfell Tower is a price worth paying.

The forensic nature of inquiries – and inquests – means they need to comb through evidence and witness statements and rightly challenge those in authority if necessary. That takes time. But it is crucial to get to the full truth about what happened, to find out if warnings were ignored and to identify how to avoid this happening in the future.

The government must properly resource any inquiry so it can report as quickly as possible. Given the number of people who could be affected in similar properties, an interim report this summer is essential.

The terms of reference, meanwhile, must be drawn up not just by government but with input from local government, communities, charities and the families of the victims. There must be adequate funding for legal representation for all those who need it with a standard of questioning no lower than would be achieved in the most rigorous of inquests. Local people must not be given any reason to feel they have been short-changed, or that there has been a cover-up or whitewash.

The greatest legacy of this tragedy may well end up being the skyline of our towns and cities. In the postwar rush to reconstruct our country, towers went up in large numbers, most of which are still here today. Nowadays, we would not dream of building towers to the standards of the 1970s, but their inhabitants still have to live with that legacy. It may well be the defining outcome of this tragedy that the worst mistakes of the 1960s and 1970s are systematically torn down. Of course, this must mean people being rehoused in the same areas where they have put down roots.

Over the last few days, I have heard so many heart-wrenching stories. One was that of Mohammed al-Haj Ali. Mohammed had come to London with his two brothers to flee the civil war in Syria. He was studying at university as one day he wanted to return to his homeland to help with its rebuilding. Mohammed had fled from war and tyranny, and travelled thousands of miles to reach the “safety” of Britain, , only to perish in Grenfell Tower. We owe it to him, as we do to all the victims, to make sure their families are properly looked after and this never happens again.